Conferences

Summary

As women agriculture educators, we face unique challenges in our line of work. In the past decade the roles of women in agriculture and farm life have been the focus of more University of Wisconsin Extension education programming. As well, more women Extension Agents have been hired. Nearly 2/3 of the newly hired Agriculture Agents in Wisconsin were women in 2013. This presentation will examine some of the unique challenges, and positive aspects of women as agriculture educators. It will also highlight the work of the University of Wisconsin Extension with the UW Madison Police Department to identify and improve safety considerations for women working in the field/farm. In many ways, working with farmers as a woman Agriculture Agent has allowed for unique and effective education that was not possible before women entered the field professionally. However, for some clientele, working with women on topics related to the farm business can be a challenge. Although the tide is turning, the clientele we serve in agriculture, especially in rural areas, are predominantly men. Because the average age of the American farmer is roughly 57 years old, many of our clientele have lived the majority of their lives working with men in particular, whether a veterinarian, crop consultant, banker, or Extension Agent.